Friday, 27 July 2012

This was one of the lip products that I won from the lovely Sukie at A Little Bit of Everything in a recent giveaway. I was so excited to receive this Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain in Honey, as these lip stains have been touted as a more affordable alternative to the Clinique Chubby Sticks which I adore but do find a little on the pricey side.

The packaging of the Balm Stain is almost identical to Clinique's offerings, with the stick twisting up from the bottom, therefore meaning no need to sharpen it. You do have to be careful when replacing the cap though as it can smoosh against the tip of the product if you are not careful - take it from someone who has already done just that!

Honey is a gorgeous, suits all nude shade which appears a light rose pink on the lips. It is such a great everyday my-lips-but-better look! I can see it being a go-to staple of my daily look as it is so easy to apply on the go - I feel like I am using a giant crayon to colour in my lips!

Wear time is up to two hours, which I find similar to the Chubby Sticks. There is a slight minty scent which I found was only
detectable when sniffing the actual product but when applied to the
lips, it is undetectable. I didn't find it at all drying, contrary to other reviews I have read, but it wasn't quite as moisturising as the Clinique products. I would certainly term it more of a stain or lip stick rather than a lip balm.

Verdict

The Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains are an excellent cheaper alternative to the Clinique Chubby sticks and are, in my opinion just as high performing. I can see this particular shade being flattering to most skin tones and it would be especially suitable for those who do not like strong, vibrant lips but want a subtle polished look or something work friendly. If you haven't yet had a look at the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, go and take a look!

Wednesday, 25 July 2012

I'm over pastels this Summer already and when I spied the Essie Mirror Metallics Collection on sale, I was unable to resist picking up a few - ahem, the whole 5 piece collection! Well, what's a girl to do when she can't choose?!

I purchased the collection from eBay as I find Essie, OPI and China Glaze so much cheaper when buying from the US. I used The Color Elf and shipping and delivery was within a week, perfect for impatient shoppers like me.

The Mirror Metallics Collection is truly beautiful and contains five eye-catching shades, from left to right:

Good as Gold - a true gold chrome

Penny Talk - a gorgeous rose gold

Nothing Else Metals - a metallic lavender which leans slightly pink

Blue Rhapsody - a light silvery blue chrome

No Place Like Chrome - a slightly blue-toned silver, perhaps the least unique colour in the collection, it reminds me a little of tin foil.

All of the polishes were on the thicker side and I was able to achieve opaquity with only one coat. As with other metallic polishes, you do have to be wary of brush strokes but as it only requires the one coat, it is much easier to manage.

For me, the stand out shade is Penny Talk, it is so pretty and shimmery and it looks modern and classy. No Place Like Chrome is probably the shade which is the most dupable and you may already have a similar shade in your collection.

Verdict

I have long been a fan of Essie's polishes and I am pleased to confirm that they have again succeeded in bringing out a small but coherent collection that I found to be instantly covertable. Formula and wear time were consistent with other Essie polishes. Stand out shades are Penny Talk and Blue Rhapsody, but to be fair, if you purchase any of these shades, you are unlikely to be disappointed. The only negative point for me is that they are only available in full size bottles as I do prefer the mini bottles often released with collections by Essie.

5/5

Price - £7.99, although you can purchase for around £5 / bottle on US ebay.

Tuesday, 24 July 2012

I don't know if there is much I can say about the 50 Shades books that hasn't already been said, but I did manage to resist them for as long as I could until curiosity got the better of me! I much preferred the first two books to the third which I felt dragged somewhat and I did find all of the books rather unrealistic, but I guess that is the point of them really! A somewhat guilty pleasure and very different from what I would usually read, but I felt I needed to read them to form an opinion on them!

Railsea - China Mieville

Again, very different from my normal reading, this book is essentially a retelling of the story of Moby Dick, but in a future world where water has all but disappeared and instead is replaced by rail tracks. Focusing on a boy named Sham, the novel is essentially a cross between a coming-of-age and an adventure tale, but it is so much more than that and to try to describe it in a brief paragraph would not do it justice. It is marketed as a Young Adult book but I found the themes quite complex and it certainly reads more like an adult novel. If you like to be transported to another world that you can easily lose yourself in for hours, I can thoroughly recommend it. I have also enjoyed one of Mieville's past novels The City & The City, which is on a similar theme.

It's All News To Me - Jeremy Vine

I'm really interested in broadcasting and journalism, and I this autobiography of the Radio 2 presenter, Jeremy Vine, appealed as it gives a behind the scenes look of what goes on in TV and radio news and presenting. Differing from many autobiographies, it skims over the early years of his childhood and gets straight into the gossip and stories from his life at the BBC, from his beginnings in journalism as a political correspondent to his current job on Radio 2 (and yes, I am old listening to Radio 2!). I liked how informal the book was in its tone and it was a very easy, quick read. If you are interested in journalism or politics I would strongly recommend it.

Have you read any of these books?

If you have read any of the 50 Shades books, what did you think of them?

Monday, 23 July 2012

After a self-imposed curb on beauty product spending, I've recently found my shopping mojo again and this week, I've had a lovely selection of goodies come into my possession.

I went a bit crazy on the nail polish front and purchased 6 Essie polishes - the entire Mirror Metallics collection, and Lilacism, which I've had my eye on for quite some time.

I won a giveaway from the lovely Sukie at A Little Bit of Everything, of one of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stains which I have been dying to get my hands on, along with a Lancome Juicy Tube in Mandarin and a No 7 Lip Liner in Nude. I'm so excited to try all of these out as I am a total lip product junkie!

And finally, Charlie at Lady of the Lane held a blog sale earlier in the week where I picked up two items - a Mac Lip Gelee in Lush & Bright and a Chanel liner in Platine.

Let me know if there are any items you would like to see reviewed. I'm off for a play with my new goodies!

Tuesday, 17 July 2012

Have you ever had that
moment when you are away from home for a few days and you realise you
have forgotten to pack your one essential beauty product? Last month, I
went away for the weekend to Aberdeen and upon getting ready for my
night out, realised I had forgotten to bring any eyeliner with me!

A quick dash to Boots
was required, where I found this - Max Factor Kohl in Black. Now unlike
many kohl which profess to be black and are in fact just a wimpy, washed
out grey, this one is a super deep black.

I love how dark it is,
yet it is still ultra soft and great for smudging for a sultry, smokey
eye. I've been using it on the waterline and whilst I do find that it
stays around without migrating underneath the eye, it does fade
significantly after 5 hours. I haven't yet tested it on the upper lid as
I tend to use pencils and kohls more on the waterline, but i would
imagine it would last longer.

Verdict

This liner was a true
lifesaver in a 'make up emergency' (if there can actually be such a
thing!) and gives a deep, dark look which is perfect for a sultry look.
Lasting power is not fantastic however, and you may need to reapply
throughout the day.